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Yogurt: Healthy Vegan Source of Nutrition Even in Lactose Intolerant

The live culture seal on yogurt containers is voluntary and
its presence implies that the yogurt contains at least 100 million bacteria
per gram at the time of manufacture.

Some brands subject yogurt
to heat treatment in an attempt to boost the shelf life, resulting in killing
the bacteria. This step gets rid of any potential benefits of
these bacteria.

The knowledge that yogurt, with its
probiotic bacteria, provides healthy nutrition has been passed on through
generations. It was Dr. Metchnikoff1 who, in the early 20th century, publicly
espoused the benefits of yogurt for health. In fact, he attributed his own
health and longevity to yogurt.

Yogurt Consumption
in the United
States

An average American eats 4 to 6 pounds of
yogurt per year. The commercial market for yogurt exceeds $2.2 billion in the
United States, and the popularity of yogurt
continues to grow. The texture of different yogurts is obviously different and
depends on a variety of factors.2

Yogurt Versus
Milk

A big advantage of yogurt over milk and
its other products is that yogurt contains bacterial lactase. Yogurt may be
better tolerated by those with a deficiency of the enzyme
lactase, manifesting as lactose intolerance, although data are mixed. Yogurt is
considered especially beneficial for gastrointestinal health.2,3

Live Active
Cultures

The application of heat
treatment to yogurt results in killing the bacteria while extending the shelf
life of the yogurt product. Most of the health-promoting beneficial
effects of probiotic bacteria are thus lost.

A brand of yogurt containing
live cultures has a logo or seal (in the form of "A C," which stands
for active cultures) on the container. Thus, yogurt may be made by
active cultures but may or may not have the bacteria depending upon the brand.